North Dakota 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Dakota House Bill HB1214 Amended / Bill

Filed 04/10/2025

                    25.0752.03000
Sixty-ninth
Legislative Assembly
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Representatives Richter, Heinert, Novak, J. Olson, Sanford, Murphy, Jonas
Senators Barta, Rummel, Schaible, Sickler
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 15.1-27 of the North Dakota 
Century Code, relating to transportation weighted student unit equivalents; to amend and 
reenact section 15.1-31-05 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to open enrollment 
transportation; and to repeal sections 15.1-27-26.1, 15.1-27-27.1, 15.1-27-28.1, 15.1-27-30.1, 
and 15.1-27-31.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to payments for school district 
transportation of students, special education students, and career and technical education 
students, the distribution of transportation payments in the event of school district closure, and 
state transportation payments to school districts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1. A new section to chapter 15.1-27 of the North Dakota Century Code is created 
and enacted as follows:
Transportation average daily membership equivalents converted to weighted student 
unit equivalents - Determination.
1.The superintendent of public instruction shall determine transportation average daily 
membership equivalents for eligible school districts providing schoolbus transportation 
in contract schoolbuses, or in district-owned and operated schoolbuses, and for 
eligible school districts with students riding commercial buses to and from a school 
within the incorporated limits of a city. Transportation average daily membership 
equivalents must be determined as follows:
a.0.0011 multiplied by the number of eligible large bus miles;
b.0.00052 multiplied by the number of eligible small bus miles;
c.0.01 multiplied by the number of eligible large bus runs;
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ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL NO. 1214
FIRST ENGROSSMENT
with Senate Amendments
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d.0.00468 multiplied by the number of eligible small bus runs;
e.0.012 multiplied by the number of square miles in the school district;
f.2.0 multiplied by the number of educational school plants within the school district 
boundary; and
g.0.00025 multiplied by the number of eligible miles transported by a student's 
family and reimbursed by the school district.
2.The superintendent of public instruction shall determine each school district's total 
transportation average daily membership equivalent by adding the products derived 
under subsection  1 and then multiplying the total transportation average daily  
membership equivalent by  	0.091 to determine the school district's weighted student  
unit equivalent.
3.Subject to legislative appropriation, the superintendent of public instruction shall pay 
each school district providing school bus transportation in contract schoolbuses, or in 
district-owned and operated schoolbuses, an amount equal to the school district's 
weighted student unit equivalent multiplied by the per student payment rate for the 
applicable school year in subsection 3 of section 15.1 	- 27 - 04.1. 
4.To be eligible, school districts must certify compliance with state law relating to 
schoolbus standards and school vehicle driver requirements. The superintendent of 
public instruction may adopt rules governing certification of compliance under this 
subsection.
5.Each year, the superintendent of public instruction shall determine the school district's 
transportation average daily membership equivalent based on the latest available 
miles and runs. Eligible miles and runs include miles and runs transporting eligible 
students to and from:
a.School, including miles students are transported by family transportation in 
accordance with section 15.1 	- 30 - 02; 
b.Special education programs approved by the superintendent of public instruction, 
regardless of whether the students transported live within the incorporated limits 
of the city in which the students' school is located, including miles students are 
transported by family transportation pursuant to subsection   6; and 
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c.Career and technology centers and career and technical education courses, 
either within the district or in other school districts offered through cooperative 
arrangements approved by the state board for career and technical education, 
regardless of whether the students transported live within the incorporated limits 
of the city in which the students' school is located.
6.To be eligible for special education miles, a student transported by a family member 
must:
a.Be a student with a disability as defined in chapter 15.1 	- 32; 
b.Have an individualized education program that requires the student attend a 
public or nonpublic school located outside the student's school district of 
residence; and
c.Be transported by an adult family member in family provided transportation 
reimbursed by the school district for no more than two round trips per day 
between the home of the student and the school.
7.If a school district ceases to exist, the superintendent of public instruction shall adjust, 
in the first year after closure, the transportation average daily membership equivalents 
of each school district in the state which enrolls students who attended the former 
school. The superintendent of public instruction shall determine the transportation 
average daily membership equivalents the former school district would have been 
entitled to for providing transportation services during the school district's final year of 
operation and shall prorate those transportation average daily membership 
equivalents to each enrolling school district based on the number of students enrolled 
from the former school. Transportation average daily membership equivalents of the 
enrolling school districts after the first year will be based on reported transportation 
average daily membership equivalents.
8.This section does not apply to miles and runs:
a.Incurred in providing transportation for students to attend extracurricular activities 
or events; or
b.Related to students who are participating in open enrollment, or who are enrolled 
pursuant to a written contract entered by the sending and admitting districts 
which waives the charge and collection of tuition for the student.
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9.The superintendent of public instruction may adopt rules relating to information 
reported by school districts and reporting deadlines.
SECTION 2. AMENDMENT. Section 15.1-31-05 of the North Dakota Century Code is 
amended and reenacted as follows:
15.1-31-05. Open enrollment - Transportation.
A school district of residence may provide transportation to a student participating in open 
enrollment. If a district of residence does not provide transportation to a student participating in 
open enrollment, transportation may be provided by the admitting district. A school district may 
not receive transportation aid disbursements under subdivision a of subsection 1 of section 
15.1-27-26.1 or subsection 3 of section 15.1-27-26.1 forinclude any factors associated with 
transporting students who are participating in open enrollment, or who are enrolled pursuant to 
a written contract entered by the sending and admitting districts which waives the charge and 
collection of tuition for the student in the calculation of transportation average daily membership 
equivalents under section   2 of this Act .
SECTION 3. REPEAL. Sections 15.1-27-26.1, 15.1-27-27.1, 15.1-27-28.1, 15.1-27-30.1, 
and 15.1-27-31.1 of the North Dakota Century Code are repealed.
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